THE SEEKER

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m usually done with Christmas as soon as Christmas day is over.

As of December 26th, I’m typically not in the mood for it anymore. The day designated for Jesus’ birth has passed, the presents have been given out, the music and movies are over (for the most part). I have no more of a craving for candy canes or eggnog than I do on May 15th. For me, when Christmas is over, it’s over.

If that’s not you, that’s cool too. I won’t try to stop you from celebrating and having a good time. Keep doing your thing.

Anyway, my reason for saying all this is because although it’s after Christmas, this is a Christmas-y blog post, and if you’re someone like me, I hope that won’t hinder you from reading it.

Alan started his sermon on Sunday by asking, “What is a seeker?” What I really wanted to do was raise my hand and say, “It’s a quidditch position.”

But a seeker, at least in the context Alan was creating, is one who tries to locate, reach, or find something or someone.

The story of Christmas is filled with seekers. God sought a mother and father for Jesus. Mary and Joseph sought answers. People of all sorts – shepherds, wise men, old men, prophets – looked for Jesus. Herod looked to kill Him. And the Jews, who had been searching and waiting their entire lives, finally received a Messiah.

It’s a great example of how we’re all seeking something. Maybe the search has been long like that of the Jews or one of panic like Mary and Joseph’s. Maybe it’s been a venture to the unknown like the wise men’s or something out of your normal life and limits like that of the shepherds. Regardless, we’re all seeking something.

I think it’s safe to say that what we’re all really searching for, no matter how it manifests itself, is happiness.

We think love and romance will bring us happiness, so we search restlessly for it in clubs, online profiles, and church events. We look down on friendship and companionship because although they won’t leave us lonely, they aren’t as glamorous and they aren’t the same.

We think money will ultimately make us happy, and in order to get it, we work overtime and/or save money for no real reason. It’s nice to know it’s there. Or it’s nice to do things, and you can’t do too much or have too much fun without money.

Or social status is our door to being happy. We change the bold lines and colors that make us who we are to something faint that can float around and blend in anywhere. And everyone will like us. And then for some odd reason, that’ll make us happy.

I’m going to step lightly out on a limb here and say that you’re still looking. Either you haven’t found your manifestation of choice, and you’re still determined to find it, or you did find the manifestation but not the happiness, and you’re still seeking that.

Here’s the simple truth: if it’s not God, that’s not it. If what you’re pursuing isn’t God or isn’t okay with God (as in it goes against His plans for you or His commandments), it’s not what you need to be seeking. And if you’re what you’re pursuing isn’t God or isn’t okay with God, don’t expect your search to stop here. This isn’t the end of your unhappiness. You’ll keep seeking until you find God and His perfect will because that is true happiness.

When you look at the seekers in the Christmas story, they all got what they wanted except for Herod. That’s because everyone else’s desires lined up with God’s. It was all part of His plan. Herod’s heart and goals were selfish and terrible and held no concern for God in the least.

“Carrie, I have been seeking God and trying to do what He wants, but I’m not getting anything. I’ve gotten no results. I’ve got no idea why I’m still doing what I’m doing. I’ve got no clue where God’s at in all of this.”

There’s something that keeps coming up in Alan’s sermons that God clearly wants everyone to know and remember, and that point is this: just because you can’t see or hear God moving doesn’t mean He isn’t.

This blog is a perfect example of that. When I first started writing these posts, there were very few readers. It was mostly friends of mine from church whom I originally thought were reading out of some feeling of obligation. It took longer for the blog to grow than I expected, and it was a little disheartening. I didn’t see how any of it was making any difference to anyone. I knew it was a way for God to reach people, but as far as I could tell, God wasn’t reaching anyone through it.

I know now that wasn’t and isn’t true. I don’t know how many people read this blog regularly, but I know some people do. I’ve received so many compliments while doing this that I wouldn’t even know where to start in relaying them all. There are several subscribers, some of whom I know and some of whom I don’t. There are hundreds of views, some of which are from people in other countries.

I cannot begin to tell you how much every last bit of it means because it was just four months ago that I thought it was pointless.

God was moving even when I didn’t see it. He was preparing hearts, getting my words right, lining up topics so that it could all come together beautifully and actually make an impact on someone instead of just being something someone read online that one time.

So don’t give up. If God’s not leading you somewhere else, don’t go somewhere else. You don’t know what’s coming. If it’s God’s will, whatever is coming is going to be great.

Continue to seek God and His will. To do anything else will leave your heart hurting and your hopes empty. We were all born with the inclination to seek something. Just be sure it’s the only One worth seeking.